In 2023, Israel Adesanya experienced a turbulent year, reclaiming his lost title from Alex Pereira only to lose it to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Following the defeat, the former Middleweight champion made a significant announcement, declaring his hiatus from the MMA scene until 2027, surprising many fans. However, for Izzy’s fans, positive news has hit the headlines, as Adesanya, in a conversation with Derek Chisora, mentioned he will soon make a comeback.
Meanwhile, Izzy is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin event. Ahead of that, Derek Chisora caught Adesanya, where he and Joshua shared some laughs. Subsequently, Chisora asked Adesanya when fans can hope to see him make a comeback. To which, the former replied that he had baited fans with a 2027 comeback and assured them that he would soon return. He stated,
“Me right now I’m taking my time. My last few fights, I have 4 fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That’s unheard of. I was the most active champion not fight ‘champion’. Life has forced me to take some time off and I will. But you will see me soon. I said 2027 and the reta**s out there actually thought I meant that. But you’ll see.”
For those who don’t know, last time Izzy was in Riyadh for the Fury vs. Ngannou fight, he created a buzz by sharing that he would be returning to the company in 2027. Talking to MacLife, when asked about his return, he stated, ‘2027. Look for the return. I’ll see you then.”
Consequently, many fans were in shock as Adesanya had been one of the most active figures in the company, stating he would be out for 3 years. However, it turns out he played with fans’, as in a recent chat on IFL TV, he clarified that he was fooling around and assured that he would return soon.
Alex Pereira Denied Israel Adesanya triology
There is a lot of talk about Adesanya vs. Pereira 3, given that the Brazilian has openly challenged him after securing the LHW belt. But Adesanya seems uninterested. During the recent Q&A session, Pereira shared that, he is fine with the possibility of Adesanya fighting or not fighting him now. He said,
“It doesn’t matter for me. I called him out in the cage after the title win, and I wanted to give him the chance, and I saw he was not giving me any respect for this – he was laughing about it and making some jokes. So for me, it doesn’t matter anymore. I gave him the chance. If he comes up, nice; if he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”
Pereira is unhappy that Izzy initially wanted to return in 2027 and didn’t respect Pereira’s challenge. Now, it seems the fight might actually take place, given Adesanya’s recent statement about making a comeback soon.
